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Santorum vs. Romney: How They Compare on Women's Issues

Annie Scudder — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:00:24 PDT

Rick Santorum endorsed Mitt Romney last night in a late-night email to supporters. Santorum wrote that while there are areas where they disagree, "We certainly agree that abortion is wrong and marriage should be between one man and one woman." During the Republican primary, Mitt and Rick worked hard to woo conservative Americans, and social issues like contraception and abortion indeed played a key role.

In the past, Romney has characterized himself as pro-choice, and the state health care passed in Massachusetts while he was governor covers contraception. Yet as many know, his positions on women's health issues have changed. So I'm curious to see how the Romney and Santorum of today stack up. We've already examined some of Rick Santorum's positions on birth control and abortion, but now let's compare their statements side by side to see how they agree and disagree, and how their positions vary in degrees of extremeness. For example, while both say they are pro-life, Romney favors an exception for rape and incest, while Santorum does not. And while they agree on defunding Planned Parenthood, their statements suggest a difference in opinion on contraception in general. Read their quotes back-to-back now.

Mitt Romney Called Out on "Working Mom" Flip Flop

Tara Block — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:30:00 PDT

Last week's heated back-and-forth between Mitt Romney's wife Ann Romney and Hilary Rosen over whether or not Ann should be the voice of "working moms" due to her stay-at-home mom past has come back to bite Mitt in the butt.

In defense of Hilary's comment that Ann "has actually never worked a day in her life," Mitt has responded with "All moms are working moms." It sounds innocent enough, but this is yet again another example of Mitt Romney flip flopping on a women's issue. In January, Mitt said this in regards to reforming Massachusetts' welfare program:

"I wanted to increase the work requirement. I said, for instance, that even if you have a child 2 years of age, you need to go to work. And people said, 'Well, that's heartless.' And I said, 'No, no, I'm willing to spend more giving day care to allow those parents to go back to work. It'll cost the state more providing that day care, but I want the individuals to have the dignity of work.'"

Well, a group of House Democrats are calling Mitt out for his most recent comment that being a mom qualifies as a job with the Women's Option to Raise Kids (WORK) Act, which would allow low-income mothers with children 3 and under to stay at home and continue receiving benefits. Because currently, raising children doesn't meet the working requirement needed to receive benefits from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program.

"Mitt Romney was for forcing mothers into the workforce before he decided that 'all moms are working moms,'" says Rep. Pete Stark of California, one of the democrats behind the WORK Act. "I think we should take Mr. Romney at his most recent word and change our federal laws to recognize the importance and legitimacy of raising young children."

Two nights ago, The Daily Show addressed Mitt's conflicting statements with a video clip of his above speech. After the jump, watch Jon Stewart point out Mitt's mom problem!

Ann Romney's Defense of Stay-at-Home Moms Distracts From Real Issue

Tara Block — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:50:00 PDT

In an attempt to attract female voters turned off by his stance on Planned Parenthood, reproductive rights, and women's issues in general, Mitt Romney has been using his wife Ann Romney as his token woman for his campaign. When questioned about gender roles and the war on women, Mitt Romney continues to bring up Ann, recently saying: "My wife has the occasion, as you know, to campaign on her own and also with me, and she reports to me regularly that the issue women care about most is the economy."

But CNN pundit Hilary Rosen took issue with the idea that wealthy stay-at-home mom Ann is being used as an "expert" on working moms and women. On AC360 last night she said, "Guess what? His wife has actually never worked a day in her life. She's never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing." These comments got Ann so heated up that she actually joined Twitter to defend herself, tweeting: "I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work." And now it's a full-blown feud, with Hilary countering with a Huffington Post piece and Ann going on Fox News to talk about how being a stay-at-home mom is a career choice with its own challenges.

The problem that arises from this stay-at-home vs. the working mom debate is that it takes the focus off the real issue that spurred Hilary's controversial comment in the first place. Something she brings up again in her Huffington Post article. She writes, "Is Ann Romney Mitt's touchstone for women who are struggling economically or not? Nothing in Ann Romney's history as we have heard it - hardworking mom she may have been - leads me to believe that Mitt has chosen the right expert to get feedback on this problem he professes to be so concerned about."

Should Mitt Romney be using Ann to attract women voters the way that he has? Do you think Hilary was wrong to call out Ann in the way that she did? Weigh in below.

Santorum Says Sayonara to GOP Presidential Candidate Campaign: See the Road to Romney

Tara Block — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:45:00 PDT

Well, it's official. Rick Santorum has dropped out of the race for Republican presidential candidate. The announcement comes after he took a break from his campaign to aid his sick daughter, Bella, and that combined with ailing poll numbers marked the end of his journey to the White House. It's been a long road to newly crowned GOP nominee Mitt Romney, who will now be up against Barack Obama in this year's presidential election. So let's look back at the ups and downs of the GOP campaign trail, and what it means for women now that Rick Santorum is no longer in the running for president.

3 Proposed Renovations For Mitt Romney's La Jolla Hood Beach Home

Elka Karl — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:01:36 PDT

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney purchased this San Diego beach home nearly four years ago for $12 million - an exorbitant buy for most anyone - but he wasn't satisfied with its lap pool, spa, generous 3,000-square-foot size, and patio overlooking the beach. He's been trying to push through a renovation - essentially a teardown - which would replace the house with a two-story, 11,000-square-foot home. While permits are still awaiting final approval, the project is expected to be approved. Keep reading for some details behind the proposed renovation, according to Politico.

Romney's cars will have their own separate elevator.
The basement alone will be 3,600 square feet.
The lap pool will be joined by an outdoor shower and an undisclosed water feature.

San Diego officials have expressed some concern over the mysterious water feature and its ability to properly drain. It may take years for the permits to be proposed, so neighbors don't have to worry about bulldozers invading their hood anytime soon.

Romney notes that the renovation is meant to accommodate his extended family. Still, it seems a bit over the top, don't you think? My extended family - which is by no means small - has often happily spent holidays together at a 2,000-square-foot house.

What do you think? Does this beach house need some sprucing up in the form of a nearly quadruple-size increase?

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Mitt Romney Promises to "Get Rid of" Planned Parenthood

Annie Scudder — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:40:57 PDT

Mitt Romney told a St. Louis reporter yesterday that if he were president he would "get rid of" Planned Parenthood. Romney specifically said, "Planned Parenthood, we're gonna get rid of that," when discussing programs he would cut. Since the president of the United States can't eliminate Planned Parenthood altogether as it's not part of the government, Romney meant he would eliminate all federal funding to the organization in order to balance the budget.

Federal funding to Planned Parenthood already cannot be put toward abortion. Pap smears, STD testing, and breast cancer screenings are some of the services Planned Parenthood provides besides abortion. And last week, Cecile Richards, the president of the organization, went on The Daily Show to point out that if you want to lower the abortion rate, you should support its mission of contraception and sex education. But as the Republican primary fight keeps going, with Rick Santorum winning last night in Alabama and Mississippi yesterday, moderate positions on Planned Parenthood aren't likely to prevail.

It's hard to believe that back in the day, Mitt Romney filled out Planned Parenthood's candidate survey indicating his support and attended a fundraiser. His wife even wrote a check to donate to the women's health organization. But if Mitt has to compete with Rick Santorum, who thinks states should have a right to ban contraception and calls birth control "a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be," it's no surprise that Mitt's attacking Planned Parenthood. If Mitt gets the nomination, how do you think positions like this will impact his chances of election?

Then and Now: Mitt Romney's Positions on Reproductive Rights

Annie Scudder — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:35:00 PST

Happy Super Tuesday! Today 10 states will vote in GOP presidential primaries, as Mitt Romney hopes to gain the final momentum needed to clinch the party's nomination. When running for the Senate or governor in liberal Massachusetts, Romney took nuanced positions on topics like abortion and emergency contraception. But over time some of his positions on reproductive rights have changed in significant ways. In the '90s he said, "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country," while today he wants to see the end of Roe v. Wade and abortion limited.

Still, Romney has been somewhat consistent on a few issues and has offered some explanations on others, saying he simply changed his mind on abortion and that it's OK to. Let's evaluate Mitt Romney's reputation as a flip flopper now to see where he stood and now stands on issues crucial to women voters.

Where to Follow the 2012 Presidential Candidates

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:30:03 PST

As the 2012 election draws closer, you should consider following the presidential candidates to stay up-to-date on the latest news and debates. These candidates are social media butterflies with active accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and more, so click to find out where you can find them.

Romney Wins Conservative Straw Poll - How Would You Vote?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:30:58 PST

If you're still going through presidential election withdrawal, here's a little something to chew on before the 2012 campaign. Conservatives have picked Mitt Romney as their number one choice for Republican nominee in 2012. Mitt won 20 percent of the vote in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll.

Despite his apparent front-runner status, Mitt could still have a tough time during the Republican primaries. In the straw poll, Bobby Jindal wasn't far behind with 14 percent, and both Sarah Palin and Ron Paul came through with 13 percent of the votes. Newt Gingrich got 10 percent, and Mike Huckabee received 7 percent.

Pretending the election was today, which Republican would you like to see take on President Obama?

Should Congress Bail Out the Automakers?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:30:32 PST

If Michigan-bred Mitt Romney doesn't think Congress should bailout the auto industry, then the plan to save Detroit might need a set of jumper cables. Mitt wrote today:

Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course - the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor, and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority, and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.

But not everyone agrees with Mitt's persuasive case. In an attempt to persuade Congress that it must act, the big-three automakers may have given themselves a flat tire. Yesterday, the CEOs of GM, Ford, and Chrysler flew into Washington on private jets (which cost about $36 million each) so they could make in-person appeals for $25 billion of taxpayer money. Looks like first-class wouldn't suit the first-class beggars.

For more on how much the companies spend on private jets, and for some arguments in support of a bailout,

ABC News reports that a private jet trip from Detroit to Washington, DC costs about $20,000. Ford's CEO takes the company's private jet back from Detroit to Seattle each weekend, while making $28 million as his annual salary. Meanwhile, thousands of employees get laid off, and the companies are asking the public for billions.

Still, if the car companies fail average Americans, not just jet-setting CEOs, have much to lose. The automakers and their affiliates make up 2 percent of the American workforce, and nearly one million Americans participate in GM's pension program, which would cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars if it collapsed.

What do you think the US government should do?

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